Chapter 911: Suzhu (I)
Li Ximing pinched a thread of mana off and flicked his finger, lighting the mana lanterns on either side. Brilliant light spilled forth as he pushed open the vermillion doors. Spiritual qi surged toward him in a wave, whipping his robe into a flurry.
The space was dim, lit only by the faint glow of the active formation. The hall itself was square, no more than thirty meters across in either direction. Lanterns flared on the walls, revealing a few stone tables and chairs casually set about. Formation markings crisscrossed the floor in interwoven threads of red and black.
The Meng family's fire vein, forged of bronze and inlaid with eight pieces of scarlet iron, was in the center, emanating a deep crimson glow. Li Ximing quickly spotted a spirit spring tucked into a corner. Its quality was quite poor, and it burbled forth with sluggish, bubbling water.
Ding-dong...
The clear spirit water resumed flowing along the carved channels in the ground, trickling into the quenching pool with a gentle tinkle. He estimated that it had likely been decades since anyone had set foot here. Yet the spirit spring had continued to emit spiritual qi, causing the energy to clog and the springhead to grow obstructed.
Having spent many years in alchemy, Li Ximing was very familiar with fire veins. He placed a hand on the bronze pedestal of the fire vein and, just as he expected, it was scalding hot.
This Meng family fire vein is indeed excellent; there’s even Li Fire mixed in. It’s truly a treasure for refining. Decades of accumulated Fiend Fire in the formation has nearly melted the pedestal.
Meng Mansion had been abandoned for decades. Li Ximing figured that had he come any later, the bronze pedestal might have melted entirely, unleashing a surge of Li Fire that would have devastated the entire cave residence.
When he saw that the Meng Mansion was utterly deserted, he thought to himself, Strange. She should have returned at least once... and yet, not even once?
Somehow, now that he was certain the Meng Mansion was empty, he felt an immediate sense of relief. His mood lightened, and his steps grew brisk. Li Ximing had always been quick to regain his composure and was adept at casting aside emotions. He promptly began to consider how best to handle the place.